The Traveling Longbottom
by DarkAngelSnapeLover
Summary: Neville Longbottom is an all work, no play sort of professor. But when an old friend interrupts his work, will he follow her away from his beloved greenhouses? NL/LL, One-Shot.


Neville looked up from his grading. He was sitting near a window while he worked, taking advantage of the warm sunshine flooding through. But something flew past, distracting him slightly. He thought it was just a passing leaf the first time, but when it happened again, he decided to take notice. He stood, looking over the courtyard below.

"Professor?" a voice called. Neville turned to see a blonde woman, her hair flowing behind her in golden waves. "It's good to see you again," she smiled. "Do you remember me? I know it's been a long time."

"Luna?" Neville guessed. She nodded happily, rushing forward to hug him. Neville had never been fond of hugs, but he made an exception for Luna, letting his fingers get lost in her long, silky hair.

"I never thought I'd get to see you again, but I had some business here. I'm writing a book about Hogwarts for the Ministry, so they've allowed me to come back to get a feel for the place. When I heard you were still here teaching herbology, I had to come see you," she chattered, taking a seat in a nearby armchair. "I see you're grading papers on the importance of mandrake safety precautions. Do you mind telling me if any of your students have been injured while handling them?"

"I don't mind," Neville murmured, taking his seat again while he shook his head. "I had a stubborn third-year go after their pots one year, but they clunked him over the head with a smaller one's pot," Neville chuckled. "Nothing like that ever happened when we were in class, but we obeyed the rules more, at least sometimes."

"Any other funny stories?" Luna asked with a light smile. Neville looked up to her. The sun was hitting her just right, making her glow with a fantastical light. He felt himself flush before quickly turning back to his pages.

"I had a first year eat dirt once. The dragon manure inside made them burp fire for a while. The headmaster didn't tell me they had a medical condition called pica. It causes people to eat inedible objects like dirt or sand or clay. They went after a cauldron the same year and got sent to St. Mungos," Neville whispered. "Um...how have you been?"

"I've been wonderful, Neville," Luna smiled, putting away a sparkling blue notebook before looking forward to him, her chin resting on her hands. "I never thought life could be so beautiful, so daring! I love being an author. I always wrote stories with my father, but writing on my own, be it fiction or non-fiction...it's amazing, Neville! I really hope you don't mind me putting those questions' answers somewhere. It's instinctual when you're a writer like me."

"I don't mind," Neville shrugged. "Can I read some of what you wrote? You sound really proud of your work, but I've never seen any of your books."

"Well I don't flaunt my abilities," Luna whispered, leaning forward. "I just now got a book deal a year ago, so don't feel too out of the loop. I haven't even written Hermione about my contract, nor any of the others. They think I'm wandering the wilds of China still. I didn't want to check in with them because I felt like a ninja! I could wander around London without a soul noticing. It was amazing, Neville. You should really try it sometimes."

"I...um...care for the greenhouses in summer, and I teach," he stammered. Luna stood, flowing to his side and putting a finger over his lips. Neville flushed, but he remained in the position he was in.

"You can be whoever you want to be, Neville. You aren't just an amazing herbology professor. You're good at everything you try, but you don't know it because you haven't tried anything new since your Hogwarts days. That's the other reason I wanted to find you. I've been following you through a friend. You haven't left Hogwarts on personal time in years. You have to get out more, Neville Longbottom, and I want you to travel with me!" Luna exclaimed, stepping back and jumping in circles. "We could go anywhere! I hear a wizard in India aparated to the Moon! They didn't survive the trip, but we could do something like that. Do you still have your license?"

"Of course," Neville nodded sternly, "but I don't know who would watch the greenhouses. I'm waiting on some special herbs for a healing-"

"Neville, you need to live. I'll be back at Christmas break and we'll go somewhere on a whim, just the two of us, for the entire break. You have two months to find someone to fill in for you, and I won't accept any excuses from you," Luna said sternly, a kind, playful smile still on her lips.

"I'll do what I can," Neville whispered. Luna smiled, skipping back to the door. "Where are you going?" Neville asked. Luna turned, a devious grin on her lips.

"I have to see if McGonagall is still alive. She must be ancient by now!" Luna giggled, frolicking into the hallway. Neville moved to the doorway to watch her walk away. Luna was right; he needed to leave the school and live an exciting life, yet he'd been waiting for a quiet, planned life since leaving Hogwarts after the battle. He had that life now and no obligations. He wanted to keep it that way, but he needed to be unpredictable too.

Neville wrote a letter to a friend of his in London. He sold plants and herbs that came from special greenhouses, including any excess ingredients Neville had after his herbology classes and potion-making. He needed to know who could watch his greenhouse during the Christmas holidays, and he knew his friend could help him discover the right person.

Luna skipped into Neville's office. She peered around trying to find the professor, but all she found were trunks and well-trashed papers. Then she heard a noise behind her.

"Ready to go?" Neville asked. Luna smiled, looking over her travel-dressed friend, his clothes packed into an overstuffed knapsack. "You told me I didn't have any other option, and you said we could go anywhere, as long as it was on a whim," he said, handing her a snow globe from a nearby table. A Christmas scene was inside, particularly a Dutch Christmas scene, complete with a tiny pair of wooden shoes almost entirely covered with the fluffy snow inside.

"I'm proud of you, Mr. Longbottom," Luna grinned, taking his hand and leading him out of the castle. They disappeared into the snowy night, a million adventures awaiting them.


End file.
